Apparatus for handling annular bodies such as coils of metal wire, rod, or strip



July 21, 1925. 1,546,364

. E. T. BENNINGTON APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ANNULAR BODIES SUCH AS COILS OF METAL WIRE, ROD, OR STRIP Filed July 5, 1924 Patented July 21, 1925 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE-p" EARL '1. BENNINGTON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING ANNULAR- BODIES SUCH AS COIIJS OF METAL WIRE,

' ROD, R STRIP. r

1 Application filed July 5,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL T. BENNINGTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland in the county of Cuyahoga and 5 State of hio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Handlin Annular Bodies Such as Coils of Metal ire, Rod, or Strip, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip- 1 tion. This invention relates to an apparatus of the overhead carrier type adapted particularly for picking up and transporting round "bundles of wire or rod, gear blanks, tile and other cylindrical or hollow products. The devices used heretofore for transporting bundles of wire or rod in a mill, or from one mill to another have been unsatisfactory as the hooks on which the bundles were intended to be supported were suspended from a single hoist, with the result that the load had to be evenly applied to prevent the accidental discharge of the load or to permit the load to be discharged without difficulty at 2 the discharge point. Furthermore, with the hooks utilized heretofore, difliculties were encountered in applying a load to the hook.

The principal object of the resent invention is to provide a carrier a apted particularly for the purpose stated above, which is so arranged, constructed and operated that the operator in the cab of the carrier or on the ground, can readily manipulate the hook so as to pick up one or any number of bundles of wire, rod or other devices, and readily discharge the load after it has been transported to the desired point. In other words, it is the chief aim of the invention to provide a carrier which is efiicient, which will reduce the labor heretofore required in handling articles of the nature stated, and will permit the latter to be. picked up, transported and discharged without necessity of their being handled manually.

In carrying out my invention I utilize a hook which 1s preferably substantially U- shaped, and is suspended, preferably at opposlte ends-by two independently controlled hoist drums, which although perhaps capable of being operated from one hoist, preferably form arts of two separate hoists. In the preferred embodiment, these hoists are on separate carriers which can be driven 1924. Serial No. 724,219.

indicated by the arrow; and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View through the lower leg of the hook substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

The hook upon which the load is supported is preferably U-shaped, and is composed of upper and lower legs 10 and 11 which are parallel, and a head 12 connecting the legs at one end of the hook. The lower leg 11 is the part which received the load,which is indicated as being in the form of bundles v of wire or rod 13. The upper leg is in the from of a beam which can be constructed of any suitable structural material, but the lower or load receiving leg 11 is preferably cylindrical in form and ma consist of a hollow tube as shown. The ree end of the lower leg has a tapered nose 14 in order that theyarticles can be readily picked up as hereinafter described.

The upper leg 10 is provided near opposite ends with two sheaves 15 and 16 adapted to accommodate hoist cables 17. 'Each sheave is preferably connected to a yoke 18 (see Fig. 3) having a swivel connection with the side members of the upper leg 10, and the housing of each sheave is preferably swiveled at the center of the yoke as indicated at 19 to turn about an axis at right angles to the axis of movement of the yoke 18. With this arrangement each sheave has freedom of movement so that it can accom-- modate itself naturally to the plane or direction of the cable 17.

The hoist cables 17 are adapted to be wound onto and unwound from independ-' ently rotatabledrums which make it possible not only to raise and lower the hook bodily but to lower one end independently of the other so as to tilt or -ti the 'hook,as indicated by dotted lines'in 1g. '1. This is particularly useful 'when the hook is taking on a load or discharging a load.

Assuming that the hook is .deslgnedto receive bundles of wire, such as indicated at 13, shouldthe bundles be standingin a row,

' free end of the hook until it. assumes the desired angle, and then pick'u the bundle by movin the tapered end 0 the lower leg into t e bundle. Likewise, in discharging the load the operator may, if occasion demands, ower both ends of the hook um- :tormly or'simultaneously until the bundles rest on the round or other support adapted to receive t em, and then back the hook out from the bundles. On the other hand, it may be desirable to simply slide them off the hook,.in which event the free -end of the hook will belowered to permit the bundles -to slide off by gravity.

As 'already stated, I prefer that the drums form parts ofv separate and independently controlled hoists In the pres ent instance the hoists are on two separate carriers 20 and 21 which may be of standard construction. These carriers are prefer ably both motor driven, the motors and moat 22. Standard motor heads and driving means between each motor and the track wheels-may be employed, such for example as shown in my prior Patent 1,412,831. The wheels of the carriers engage a. suitable overhead track-way which generally is a monorail, which I have indicated at 23, in-

which event the, wheels of the carriers engage flanges .on opposite sides of the rail 1n the customary manner. Both motors will be connected, to and con-trolled by a single controller, (not shown) which in the construct-ion illustrated will be located in the operators cab 24 which is attached to the carrier 20. In this instance the cab 24 has wheels engaging the rail 23, and the cab has suitable trolley wheels 25 engaging trolley wires 26 which parallel the rail 23, and supply current to the traversing motors and to the two hoist motors. In Fig. 1 the hoists are indicated generally by the reference character 27, each hoist having a drum28 which receives one of thehoist cables 17, and an electric motor indicated at 29 for rotating the drum. Standard hoists may be employed on both carriers. The motors of the hoists are con-' trolled through separate switches or con advantage.

stead of electric hoists, pneumatic hoists may be employed and in some instances hand operated hoists could be utilized to When the controller which is connected to the two traversing motors 22 is operated, both carriers will travel in unison or at the same speed along the track. They are held I in more or less definite spaced relation not only by reasonof the fact that the two motors operate at the same speed, but also by the pull of the hoist cables due to the weight of the hook, or the hook and its load. I prefer, however, to connect the two carriers 20 and 21 by a flexible or extensible cou pling 30 composed of two telescopic parts. The flexible or extensible coupling is useful when the carrier is traveling around a curve, as it permits the ends to separate when the curve is being rounded, and reduces the wear of the carrier wheels on the rail 23.

It will be seen, therefore, that I have provided a carrier with a load hook supported in a manner such as to admit of bundles'of wire or other articles being picked up, transported and discharged without requiring that the articles. be handled manu ally. It has been found in practice that wire bundles can be picked up, transported and discharged easily and rapidly and it is a simple matter for the operator to cause the hook to ick up the bundles and also to discharge t e bundles in just the desired position. tor drives being indicated conventionally It will be understood, of course, that my improved carrier may be employed but transporting articles or loads other thanbundles of wire or rod. It is to be understood also, that my invention in its broad aspects may be (put in practice in different Ways or by v ifi'erent instrumentalities. For example, I do not regard it essential to my invention that the'hoists be located on two separate carriers, or if two carriers are employed, that they both be motor driven, or that two wholly independent hoists be employed. Furthermore the load hook and the hoists or hoist drums may be employed on a carrier of a different type than here illustrated, as for example on the bridge or boom of a crane, or on a carrier which is hand propelled, or the hoists may be-controlled or operated from the ground.

per leg and a single load carrying prong I therefore aim in my claims to cover all Y below the same adapted to extend through a plurality of coils or similar annular bodies, and means for supporting the book from the traveling support and for holding the same against tilting comprising a pair of flexible hoist elements extending upwardly in the plane of the hook to the traveling support, one from the rear end of the hook and the other from the forward end of the upper leg thereof.

2. Apparatus for handling annular bodies such as coils of metal wire rod or strip comprising an overhead traveling support, a substantially U-shaped hook having an upper leg and a single load carrying prong below the same adapted to extend through a plurality of coils or similar annular bodies, and means for suspending said hook from the traveling support comprising a pair of hoist cables one connected to the rear end of the hook and the other to the forward end of the upper leg thereof and independently controlled drums for operating said cables whereby the hook may be tilted to retain a load of annular bodies on the prong or to discharge the load from the prong.

3. Apparatus for handling annular bodies such as coils of metal wire rod or strip comprising an overhead traveling support, a substantially U-shaped hook having an upper leg anda single load carrying prong below the same adapted to extend through a plurality of coils or similar annular bodies, sheaves swiveled to the hook adjacent opposite ends thereof, the forward sheave being swiveled to the upper leg, and independently operable hoist cables suspended from the traveling support and having loops in which the sheaves are supported.

4. Apparatus for handling annular bodies such as rod wire or strip coils comprising an overhead traveling support, a substantially U-shaped hook having an upper leg and a single load carrying pron below the same, sheaves at opposite ends 0 said upper leg, said sheaves being swiveled to the leg by means permitting the sheave to swing about either of two axes, one transverse with respect to said leg and the other at right angles to said first-mentioned axis, and independently operable hoist cables suspended from the traveling support and having loops in which the sheaves are supported.

5. In a load carrier, an overhead traveling support having independently controlled hoist drums, a U-shaped load supporting hook having an upper leg formed of a pair of spaced parallel bars and a lower leg comprising a single bar rigidly connected at its rear end to the rear end of the upper leg, sheaves mounted between the bars of the upper leg adjacent the front and rear ends thereof, and a pair of looped hoist cables each connected at one end to the said support and at the other to one of said drums, each sheave being supported in the loop of one of said cables. I

6. In a load carrier, an overhead traveling support having independently controlled hoist drums, a U-shaped load supporting hook having an'upper leg and a lower leg joined at its rear end to the rear end of said upper leg, transverse yokes carried by the upper leg and swiveled to turn on horizontal axes, sheave cases swiveled to said yokes to turn about vertical axes, sheaves journaled in said cases, and cables extending. from said drums around the under sides of the sheaves and upwardly to the said support and attached thereto.

7. In combination, a pair of carriers mounted to travel one in advance of the other on an overhead track and connected by a flexible coupling, each carrier having a hoist with a cable drum, a substantially U-shaped load supportin hook, and cables engaging said drums an connected to opposite ends of said hook.

8. In combination, a pair of overhead traveling carriers provided with propelling motors adapted to be simultaneously controlled, said carriers being mounted to travel one in advance of the other on an overhead track and connected by a flexible coupling, hoists carried by said carriers and adapt to beoindependently operated, a U-shaped load supporting hook having upper and lower legs, and cables connecting opposite ends of the upper leg of the hook to t e two hoists.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

EARL T. BENNINGTON. 

